Celebrate romance in Hua Hin with the best romantic dinner. From a sky-dinner at a rooftop bar to beachfront cocktails with delicious nibbles, there's a space and place for every occasion be it formal or casually chic.
If you love creative and quirky cocktail creations, amazing views and tapas, choose Vana Nava Sky Bar.
With stunning panoramic ocean views of Hua Hin and comfy private booths, this is the place to celebrate romance from the highest point in Hua Hin. Great for sundown cocktails followed by a romantic dinner for two with delectable tapas options plus mains that are as beautiful as the view, Vana Nava Sky Bar and Restaurant is at the top of every romantic guide to Hua Hin both literally and figuratively.
If you love classic yet casual, open-air dining with beachfront views, choose McFarland House.
Set on the beachfront along a quiet stretch of Hua Hin beach, this open-air restaurant and bar has old vintage charm with a modern, fresh and healthy menu. Start your evening with sunset cocktails or freshly made gourmet juice combinations. Choose from a range of creative and delicious European dishes with Thai influences paired with a glass of Hua Hin's Monsoon Valley wine.
If you love BBQs and seafood with sparkling wine and your toes in the sand, choose the Beachcombers BBQ.
This place oozes with casual and chic beachside charm. It's a favourite of ours and is held every Friday evening on the beach in front of the InterContinental Hua Hin Resort. At the Beachcombers BBQ enjoy live cooking stations offering up fresh grilled seafood from Hua Hin, plus European dishes and a delicious dessert station. There's also a kids' corner, so parents can still enjoy a romantic dinner in Hua Hin while the kids are occupied.
If you love shopping, market food and want to wander a creative and modern night market with your partner, choose the Cicada Markets.
This place is busting, but if you are looking to explore a night market in Hua Hin and want a bit of romance to go with it, then Cicada Markets is your best option. If you go early, round 5:30PM, you can easily find a table and have a romantic night market meal under fairy lights strung between the trees and the glow of lanterns. Post-dinner, take a stroll around the open-air art galley with your partner and sip of fresh coconuts.
If you love Chinese food with great cocktails and views, choose White Lotus for your date night in Hua Hin.
Start your romantic evening with sundown cocktails and views of the coast at Sky Bar just next to White Lotus. Pair your romantic view with the highly recommend chilli crab or the szechuan prawns. White Lotus is one of the best Chinese Restaurants in Hua Hin and is known for their dim sum.
If you love modern dining by the sea with platters of seafood and meat, choose Azure Restaurant.
The atmosphere here is all about beachside romance. With a recently revamped menu, and newly designed cocktail list at Azure Bar upstairs, this place has everything you want for a romantic dinner — ambiance, views plus a good food and drinks menu. Share the love with platters of freshly grilled seafood and prime cuts of meat that are locally sourced.
If you love secret cocktail spots by the sea with tasty gourmet accompaniments, choose Azure Bar.
Before you start your Farm-and-Sea Table Grazing, head upstairs to Azure Bar at the InterContinental Hua Hin Resort. We chose this bar as a romantic pre-dinner cocktail spot because it's a bit of a hidden gem in Hua Hin with romantic views of the ocean and white lounges that are percent for cuddling up on as you indulge in some of Hua Hin's most creative and quickly cocktail combinations designed by master mixologist Joseph Bnroskipaired with truffle sliders, Chinese peppercorn cheese sticks and mini seafood rolls.
If you're planning a romantic escape to Hua Hin, or a thinking of choosing it as your wedding destination, this place has some wonderfully romantic thigns to see and do all conveniently located just a 2-hour drive from Bangkok.


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Kim Kardashian Revealed She Eats Plant-Based And North Is A Pescatarian During A Recent Food Q&A
Literally taking notes.
By Kristin Salaky
Kim Kardashian WestInstagram
Devout followers of Miss Kim Kardashian West may know that she's talked about being vegan in the past (she said it helped her get a 24-inch waist!), but since she also talks about things like dipping chicken nuggets in honey it can be hard to keep up (hah, get it?) with her eating habits. But during a recent Q&A, Kimmie recently revealed that not only is she is primarily plant-based, her daughter North also avoids meat.
Kim recently held an informal Twitter Q&A where she spilled all sorts of secrets about her eating and drinking habits. Not only did we learn her go-to Starbucks order (a "small" white chocolate mocha!) and her favorite way to eat a potato (french fries!), but when asked if she would ever go vegan, she clarified that she doesn't eat meat and eats primarily plant-based.
I eat mostly plant based. No meat anymore https://t.co/sfS4XM73f7
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) February 4, 2020
When asked what she eats, Kim shared a whole day of meals...besides dinner.
"Oatmeal and vegan sausage for breakfast, vegan tacos are my fave for lunch! Salads are good too!" she said.
Kim said her kids also follow a plant-based diet, but her oldest, North West, is a pescatarian, meaning she eats fish, as well as plant-based foods.
No word on what kind of fish North is chowing down on, but if you want to eat like Kim, scroll down a bit on her Twitter account to get all sorts of info...including the fact that she doesn't like Flamin' Hot Cheetos! I wasn't sure that was allowed, but do you, Kimmie!
Kristin Salaky News Editor Kristin Salaky is the news editor at Delish.com covering viral foods, product launches, and food trends.
Why Kim Kardashian Is On A Plant-Based Diet
Kim Kardashian Loves Her Plant-Based Diet
Plant-Based Meatballs
Tyson Foods Is Launching Plant-Based Nuggets
Kroger Will Sell Their Own Plant-Based Meat

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Granite Properties
Blue Cross Blue Shield plans innovation center in Dallas' revitalized West End
Filed under Real Estate at Nov 2016
One of the country's biggest health insurers seems like an unlikely tenant for an edgy new downtown office venue.
But a unit of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas is headed to Dallas West End district as the first major business to land in an historic building redo.
BCBS Innovation - part of the Richardson-based medical insurance giant - is taking about 25,000 square feet of office space in the former West End Marketplace building at Munger Avenue and Market Street.
The health insurer will occupy part of the 114-year-old former retail and entertainment complex which developer Granite Properties is converting into high-tech, creative office space.
The 7-story, 237,000-square-foot building - which started life as a cookie factory built at the turn of the 20th Century - is being converted into a new generation office environment called Factory Six03.
Granite Properties is one of several developers taking old commercial buildings and reworking then into working environments for tech, creative and start up firms.
Building permits show that about $2.5 million is being spent to build BCBS Innovation's new offices in the landmark building.
Officials with Granite Properties would not comment on the lease or BCBS Innovation's plans for the space.
A spokesman for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas confirms that the new office downtown is under construction. But Gustavo Bujanda said it's too early to talk about the new operation.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas moved into its 1 million square-foot, 2-building headquarters on U.S. Highway 75 starting in 2009.
About 3,000 workers were initially housed in the new $265 million headquarters complex.
The brick and timber downtown building where BCBS Innovation is locating couldn't be more different that the company's Richardson head office.
When finished, the West End building will have a rooftop entertainment space and amenity deck, a community lobby, coffee bar and about 10,000 square feet of restaurant space.
Originally constructed in 1902 for the Brown Cracker & Candy Co., the West End building was converted into the retail and entertainment complex in the mid-1980s.
A Planet Hollywood nightclub and multi-cinema housed in the building were closed in 2001
Granite Properties said the latest reuse of the red brick buildings are patterned after successful creative office space projects in cities including Boston and San Francisco.
Several developers have made investments in old West End buildings with hopes of attracting new and younger workers to the area.
John Crawford, with the economic development group Downtown Dallas Inc., said Blue Cross Blue Shield's new deal "is just the beginning of what is happening in the evolution and transformation of downtown's West End.
"Blue Cross Blue Shield is a well-known tenant and will help to attract more quality and long term tenants to this area."
The former West End Marketplace retail and entertainment building is being converted into office space for tech and creative firms.
(Granite Properties)


With the JAS Labor Day Experience now behind us, JAS has collected extensive feedback from attendees, staff and local police, fire and transportation personnel about the evacuation process Aug. 31, including buses, pedestrian/traffic flow and communication once the concert was halted.
JAS has heard clearly from many attendees, and is sorry for the inconvenience, discomfort and fear that they experienced during the "force majeure" emergency event evacuation Friday night, the first such event in the (28-year) history of JAS. Thank you to everyone who shared feedback, all of which will help us improve in the future.
Immediate changes were implemented Saturday and Sunday following the Friday night evacuation to increase the efficiency of pedestrian and auto/bus traffic flow Saturday and Sunday, and there were no delays or issues on egress from the site.
Thank you sincerely for your support, attendance and passion for the live music experience at JAS now and in the future.


After presenting three ground-breaking concept vehicles during the 2005-2006 global auto show season - Sassou at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show, Senku at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show and Kabura at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show - Mazda's global design team wasn't about to rest on its laurels. To keep energy levels brimming, and to begin the process of evolving Mazda's design and surface language for future Zoom-Zoom vehicles, Mazda's design division has invented a new surface language called Nagare for introduction at this year's Greater Los Angeles International Auto Show. Under the direction of Mazda's new global design director, Laurens van den Acker, the challenge given to the team was to invent a novel means of registering motion in vehicles whether they're moving or still. Nagare achieves that goal while also signaling a fresh design direction for future Mazda vehicles. Nagare is the first of a series of design concepts - some closer to actual production vehicles than others - that Mazda will showcase this global autoshow season, including Los Angeles, Detroit, Geneva and Tokyo.
Franz von Holzhausen, Mazda North American Operations' (MNAO) Director of Design, and the man responsible for leading the US-based design team which developed this vehicle, explains, "We're looking well down the road with Nagare. We want to suggest where Mazda design will be in 2020. To do that, we redefined basic proportions and the idea of driving without losing the emotional involvement. Mazda's driving spirit will be enhanced and intensified by Nagare. Mazda doesn't produce concept cars to spin its wheels, and while some are more forward-looking than others, we simply do not create pure flights of fantasy. We develop these ideas to demonstrate what we really intend to build and sell. It took soul-searching along with basic research to invent the new surface language we're calling Nagare. The dynamic qualities of Mazda products already do an excellent job of capturing the spirit of motion so our goal was to move our design language a major step beyond what we've already demonstrated with Sassou, Senku, and Kabura."
von Holzhausen continues, "We began by studying motion and the effect it has on natural surroundings: how wind shapes sand in the desert, how water moves across the ocean floor, and the look of lava flowing down a mountainside. Natural motion registers an impression in your brain and that's what we hoped to capture with the new Nagare surface language. Once we started sketching our ideas, we weren't surprised to find similar quests underway in other product design disciplines. We found examples of motion influencing the shape and surface of furniture, architecture, apparel, and artwork. Nagare undoubtedly proves our confidence in identifying a new and exciting visual language for Mazda as we lead the way in defining the interaction of motion and flow in automobile surfacing. We began by developing a surface or textural language that describes flow. The motion of the vehicle is defined by, and evident in, the texture of its interior and exterior surfaces. There is no right or wrong way to capture the impression of motion, so each of the concepts we present throughout this global show season will embody a different interpretation of our new surface language."
von Holzhausen describes Nagare as "a concept of a concept." It's intentionally a celebration of proportions and surface language that will evolve in subsequent designs planned for presentation at future autoshows this season. In other words, design first, engineering later at this point in the process, in contrast to the classic 'form-follows-function' approach. Adds van den Acker, "It's important to start with the vision first: Nagare is sculpture on wheels, our vision of what Mazda automobiles could look like in 2020. The concept we'll present in Detroit is practical enough to produce in the next decade, while the model under development for Geneva will embody design ideas we expect to implement in the very near future."
Like all Mazda products, Nagare has the soul of a sports car. Its shape is sleek and aerodynamically efficient, as you'd expect of an urban cruiser for the future. Wheels are positioned at the far corners of the envelope for quick steering response and agile maneuverability. There isn't an ounce of overhang wasted. Access to the four-place interior is provided by two double-length doors that hinge forward and up like the wings of a butterfly. The driver is centrally located, like a single-seat sports racer, for optimum control and visibility. Since the driver is positioned under the highest portion of the roof, there's ample headroom with a comfortably reclined backrest. Innovative seating arrangements are a Mazda specialty, as witnessed by the successful RX-8 four-passenger sports car and the clever packaging in the upcoming CX-9 three-row, seven-passenger crossover sport-utility vehicle. Nagare's rear compartment is a wrap-around lounge offering relaxed accommodations for three passengers. The central front seat and expansive door opening facilitate easy entry to the surprisingly roomy interior. Recognizing that an advanced design concept needs an advanced powertrain, Nagare could conceivably be powered by a hydrogen-fueled rotary engine. Mazda's work on this advanced driveline technology is among the most advanced in the world, with hydrogen/gasoline-fueled rotaries powering RX-8s currently in service in Japan.
Nagare's side surfaces provide a means of visualizing the air flowing along and over the car as it speeds through the atmosphere. Light and shadow combine to convey this feeling of motion even when the car is still. Similar hints of fluid flow are evident in the hood, wheel arches, LED head- and tail-lamp treatments. The same surface language plays throughout Nagare's interior; the instrument panel, center console, and door panels all appear to be influenced by flow. Notes von Holzhausen of the vehicle, "Beauty is not a clean sheet of paper. Nagare's motion-influenced surface texture compliments its dynamic attributes. Because of Mazda's sporty essence, we never wrap our customers in boxes. Our new surface language is car-centric. After studying the architectural approach, which tends to be strictly rigid, and the organic approach, which is highly fluid, we created Nagare to straddle those two disciplines. It is fluid, graceful, and dynamic. But the message it registers on the beholder is flow-motion."
To give Mazda products sold in far-flung global markets a common design theme, the three global design studios, located in Irvine, California, Frankfurt, Germany and Yokohama, Japan are inspired, guided, and encouraged by Laurens van den Acker, the firm's global design director, located at the company's headquarters in Hiroshima, Japan. Future concepts embracing the Nagare flow design discipline will evolve under van den Acker's oversight as this year's show season unfolds.


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Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an agriculture, life science, pathogen, and invasive species research facility in Florida affiliated with University of Florida. It is a partnership between federal, state, and county governments that includes an extension office in each of Florida's 67 counties, 13 research and education centers, several demonstration sites, the University of Florida College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (including the School of Forest Resources and Conservation] and the School of Natural Resources and Environment), the Center for Tropical Agriculture, portions of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, the Florida Sea Grant program, and the International Program for Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources.
IFAS research and development covers natural resource industries that have a $101 billion annual impact. The program is ranked #1 in the nation by the NSF.[1] Because of this mission and the diversity of Florida's climate and agricultural commodities, IFAS has facilities located throughout Florida. Starting June 1, 2010 IFAS will be under the leadership of Dr. Jack Payne, who was named Senior Vice President for agriculture and natural resources for the University of Florida on February 26, 2010.[2]
federal-state-county partnership
Dr. Jack Payne (Senior Vice President)
572 (state), 293 (county)
www.ifas.ufl.edu
Fifield Hall
The UF/IFAS research mission is to invent, discover and develop knowledge to enhance the agriculture and natural resources of Florida. Faculty members pursue fundamental and applied research that furthers understanding of natural and human systems. Research is supported by state and federally appropriated funds and supplemented by grants and contracts. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences was awarded $166 million in annual research expenditures in sponsored research for 2018.[3]
The Florida Agricultural Experiment Station administers and supports research programs in UF/IFAS. The research program was created in 1887 by federal legislation known as the Hatch Act, a follow-up to the 1862 Morrill Act that established U.S. land-grant universities. The research programs support approximately 350 full-time equivalent faculty members in 16 academic departments on UF's Gainesville campus and at 13 research and education centers around the state.
Most IFAS research can be easily accessed via the searchable UF/IFAS Electronic Data Information Source (EDIS).
IFAS supports one of the nation's largest collections of food safety facilities and faculty in the country, and is integral in maintaining the National Food Safety Database.
Along with researchers specializing in controlling spread of pathogens such as E. coli and Salmonella, IFAS also has uniquely specialized research programs dedicated to the science of food packaging and a Center for Food Distribution and Retailing.
IFAS microbiologist Lonnie Ingram holds several patents (jointly with the University of Florida) on a unique way to produce cellulosic ethanol using a genetically engineered form of E. coli to break down biomass. A cellulosic ethanol power plant utilizing this method began construction in Louisiana in 2007.
IFAS is researching how to prevent mosquitoes from carrying new forms of deadly pathogens such as avian flu and dengue fever.
Florida is the state most indundated with invasive plant and animal species. Nearly 85 percent of new plants entering the country travel through Miami. As such, much of the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology as well as a Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants have been dedicated to fighting this problem.
Emerging pathogens
IFAS is part of the University of Florida's Emerging Pathogens Institute. IFAS has been heavily involved in dealing with emerging food safety issues such the recent surge of E. coli and Salmonella infections due to bacteria on fresh produce served at restaurants and grocery stores.
Citrus research
Established in 1917 IFAS' Citrus Research and Education Center is the largest citrus research institution in existence with more than 40 laboratories, 250 employees, and over 220 acres (0.89 km2) of groves and greenhouses.
Dr. Gary Butcher is widely recognized as one of the foremost experts on poultry pathogens in the United States.
The 1914 Smith-Lever Act provided federal support for land-grant institutions to offer educational programs to enhance the application of useful and practical information beyond their campuses through cooperative extension efforts with states and local communities.
UF/IFAS Extension provides Floridians with lifelong learning programs in cooperation with county government, the United States Department of Agriculture, and Florida A&M. The wide breadth of educational programming offered in each county responds to the local needs of residents, schools, regulatory agencies, community organizations, and industry.
Programs promote sustainable agriculture, teaching environmental stewardship, understanding of food nutrition and safety, consumer and parenting skills, and providing leadership for youth development through programs like 4-H.
By partnering with local government, advisory committees, concerned citizens, commodity groups and the youth of Florida, UF/IFAS Extension creates an important link between the public and research conducted on campus and at 13 research and education centers.
Solutions for Your Life
Solutions for Your Life is the web site of University of Florida Extension, making IFAS faculty expertise available online under such categories as lawn and garden care, family life and consumer choices, agriculture, community development, the environment, and youth development. The web site is focused on providing timely and relevant solutions.
In addition to facilities on the University of Florida campus and Extension offices in each of Florida's 67 counties, IFAS has 1,255 buildings, 3,190,448 square feet (296,402 m²) gross, and 16,591 acres (67.1 km²) throughout the state. These facilities are used for teaching, research and demonstration:
16 on-campus academic departments
13 Research & Education Centers (REC) located throughout the state
Florida Cooperative Extension Service offices in all 67 counties (counties operate and maintain)
6 Research sites/demonstration units administered by RECs or academic departments
5 locations with statewide undergraduate degree programs
College of Agricultural
The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) offers students an education that results in knowledge and skills for employment, productive citizenship and lifelong learning. With 24 undergraduate majors and more than 53 areas of specialization, the college is an educational leader in the areas of food, agriculture, natural resources and life sciences as they relate to human resources, the environment and communities. Master's and doctoral degrees are offered in every department and school.
The college has approximately 5,000 students, including more than 1,100 graduate students. A majority are women, 30% are minorities and 9% are international students, making the college's student population one of the most diverse in the nation. Known for its student-centered focus, the college prides itself on educating society-ready graduates. In addition to the Gainesville campus programs, the college offers baccalaureate degrees, professional graduate degrees and teacher certification courses at five satellite sites. Distance education, via interactive video conferencing, videotape and the World Wide Web, are also offered.
Through productive partnerships with private business, industry and research organizations, IFAS students enjoy superior internships, and graduates benefit from outstanding employment opportunities. Students gain a global perspective through a variety of study abroad programs, and they participate in research and development projects with premier faculty researchers.
Statewide programs
Recognizing the specialized needs of nontraditional students, CALS established Bachelor of Science degree programs at Fort Lauderdale, Milton, Florida, Ft. Pierce, Florida, Apopka, and Plant City. Degree programs include landscape and nursery horticulture, turfgrass science, entomology, natural resource conservation, and agribusiness management. Students must have an associate degree to enter these statewide programs. These programs are a partnership with local community colleges and our sister state universities.
Organic agriculture
The 2006 fall academic semester marked the official launch of a science-based organic agriculture undergraduate degree program at UF, making it one of the first three U.S. institutions to offer this major. Colorado State University and Washington State University began similar programs simultaneously.
The Health Science Center
The College of Veterinary Medicine is jointly administered through the university's Health Science Center and IFAS. Support from UF/IFAS includes resources for large animal disease research, undergraduate instruction and veterinary extension.
Total alumni
As of March 2008:
Agricultural & Life Sciences 21,877
Forest Resources & Conservation 2,334
Natural Resources & Environment 518
Note: 1,009 alumni live overseas
Genomics of domestication
^ "NSF Ag Top 5" Archived 2009-05-14 at the Wayback Machine
^ IFAS leadership
^ "University of Florida smashes research awards record with $837.6 million in fiscal year 2018". University of Florida. July 31, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
IFAS's News Page
Located in: Gainesville, Florida
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Return to Power: Why we need a new Benjamin Franklin
At the peak of February's ice storm, 715,000 households in the Philadelphia region were without power. But is being "without power" the same as being powerless? I live in a Montgomery County neighborhood that has managed to escape weather extremes: no tornadoes, hurricanes or drought-induced wild fires. But icy rain and bitter cold overwhelmed us. Towering trees glazed and shattered. Power lines festooned the streets. Sudden silence fell, leaving thousands of people powerless. Gov. Tom Corbett and President Barack Obama, in a rare show of accord, declared our region a natural disaster emergency area.
At first, the power outage offered novelty, like camping indoors—heating with a woodstove, lighting a gas stove with matches, eating by candlelight while surrounded by uncommon quiet. But as the hours mounted and the temperature dropped, I hated myself for flicking a useless light switch every time I entered a room. The romance receded. A gap opened between the haves with home generators and the have-nots, like me, moving all perishable food to the great outdoor freezer of my front porch. It's said that nothing focuses the mind like adversity, so when faced with a chilly shower and shampoo, my thoughts turned to the utility of powdered wigs. Disguising unwashed hair is not an option I'd normally consider, but I'd been inhabiting the 18th century by reading Edmund S. Morgan's 2002 biography, Benjamin Franklin.
It's impossible to live in 21st century Philadelphia without being at least vaguely aware of Franklin's legacy—the kite/key/electricity connection, the busybody mirrors, the Franklin stove, and the ubiquitous Franklin impersonator strolling Old City. More profoundly impressive are the institutions Franklin founded: The Library Company of Philadelphia, volunteer fire brigades, the Pennsylvania militia, the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Hospital, and the Philadelphia Contributionship, the insurance company that insures my home. Franklin did all this before turning 45, while running a printing business and writing Poor Richard's Almanack.
Franklin started public institutions because he felt that 18th century government was not providing adequately for the real needs of all the people. In the absence of effective leadership, Franklin used the power of his newspaper and personal relationships to appeal to the self-interest of citizens. He convinced them to invest in endeavors that would serve, protect and enrich them, such as a fire brigade, an earthworks defense and a library. His was a simple strategy that harnessed the personal resources of genuine democracy and yielded enduring outcomes.
After 60 hours of privation, power surged into my home. The temptation to overindulge struck first—to turn on every appliance, take a hot shower, roast a chicken. The giddiness passed and I recalled what it is to feel helpless. To be completely dependent on an anonymous network of businesses and public safety staff. To be surrounded by a lifeless neighborhood full of people waiting to be delivered. To have no idea what I could do to make a difference.
It made me realize that we need a new Franklin—a leader who inspires us to create resilient communities, powered in part by the people who live there and neighborhoods that recover after system failures and 100-year weather events.
I don't know who this new Franklin might be, but I hope you are out there looking for solutions. When the power goes out again, will we remain powerless?
Marilyn Anthony is executive director of Lundale Farm, co-founder of Philly Farm & Food Fest, and an adjunct faculty member at Fox School of Business, Temple University.
Illustration by Sarah Ferone
In Community Tags Benjamin Franklin, Dispatch, philadelphia
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Iraq sentences last two French nationals to death for joining Daesh.
June 3, 2019 Middle East, Europe, Featured, Iraq, Worldwide Leave a comment 434 Views
An Iraqi court has sentenced to death the last two French nationals on trial for joining the terrorist Daesh group and involvement in acts of terror.
The men, identified as Bilel Kabaoui, 32, and Mourad Delhomme, 41, were convicted of joining Daesh and carrying out criminal operations by a criminal court in the capital Baghdad on Monday. They have 30 days to appeal.
They are among a group of 11 French citizens and one Tunisian, who was captured by the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces in Syria and handed over to Iraq in January.
All the eleven Frenchmen transferred from Syria are facing the gallows in Iraq. The Iraqi law provides for the capital punishment, which is carried out by hanging, for anyone found guilty of joining a "terrorist group" – even if the convicts have not taken up arms and have not participated in battles.
Iraq has been trying hundreds of suspected Daesh members, many of whom were detained as the outfit's strongholds crumbled throughout Iraq. This includes hundreds of foreigners.
Hundreds of European nationals traveled to the Middle East to join Daesh after the terror group captured large swathes of territory in Iraq and neighboring Syria in mid-2014.
According to the French Foreign Ministry, some 450 French citizens linked to Daesh are either detained by Kurdish forces in northern Syria or being held in refugee camps.
But France is reluctant to bring back the militants or their families in the wake of a string of terrorist attacks that have claimed the lives of more than 250 people since 2015.
Iraq declared the end of military operations against Daesh in the country on December 9, 2017.
On July 10 that year, former Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi had formally declared victory over Daesh in Mosul, which served as the terrorists' main urban stronghold in Iraq.
In the run-up to Mosul's liberation, Iraqi army soldiers and volunteer Hashd al-Sha'abi fighters had made sweeping gains against Daesh.
Iraqi forces took control of eastern Mosul in January 2017 after 100 days of fighting and launched the battle in the west on February 19 last year.
Tags Baghdad Daesh France Iraq ISIS Middle East Mosul syria Terrorism


Le Cirque Harold Gagnon, restaurant, listed under "Restaurants" category, is located at 91 Boul Arthur-Buies O Rimouski QC, G5L 5C4, Canada and can be reached by 4187242252 phone number. Le Cirque Harold Gagnon has currently 0 reviews.
Browse all Restaurants in Rimouski QC.


This appeared on The Detroit News on May 15, 2014.
For most of the last decade, Michigan has unquestionably had the worst performing state economy.
As economists and former Michigan residents, we know both the abysmal economic statistics and the real human costs of perpetual layoffs, declining income, long-term unemployment, empty main street storefronts, and a stream of friends and family members forced to leave the state they love in search of opportunity and prosperity elsewhere.
Thankfully, recent public policy changes should give Michigan citizens reason for optimism for a brighter and more prosperous future. Our recent Rich States, Poor States economic outlook ranking of the 50 states shows Michigan jumping from its position as the 20th most competitive state in 2013, to the 12th most competitive state in 2014.
Just a few years ago in 2009, Michigan ranked as low as 34th in the country.
Rich States, Poor States ranks states' respective economic outlook and competitiveness based on economic policy climate. The study, published annually for the last seven years by the American Legislative Exchange Council, measures the extent to which a state embraces a free market, low tax, limited government public policy environment according to 15 equally weighted variables, including tax and labor policy, the size of government, public debt and the state's legal environment for business.
While a state's public policy environment isn't the only thing that determines economic performance — weather, natural resources, sound governance, basic public services and the prevalence of innovation hubs all matter, too — it contributes greatly to a state's economic health and growth. Moreover, policy reform is the only real option available to state policymakers looking to improve their economic performance, given their inability to alter the other contributing factors of economic growth.
Michigan policymakers have undertaken a number of bold reforms in recent years to make the state more hospitable to large and small businesses. Significant reforms that helped spur economic growth include the Michigan business tax repeal, the phase-out of the personal property tax, the taxpayer audit guidance, regulatory reform, and increased labor freedom through right-to-work policy. By cutting red tape, providing reasonable and predictable rules for businesses, and giving individual employees the choice to unionize, Michigan's government allows more money to remain in the hands of businesses and individuals.
When businesses have more profits due to lower taxes and decreased regulatory compliance costs, they are able to more easily invest, expand, hire, and promote in Michigan.
Moreover, for entrepreneurs just starting out or out-of-state firms looking to relocate to a more hospitable business climate, business in Michigan has recently become substantially more viable. This means work for the long-term unemployed, promotions for the underemployed, opportunity for the ambitious to start their own business, and perhaps most importantly, the ability for Michiganians who love their home state to stay close to friends and family and build a career in Michigan. Greater economic freedom in Michigan means greater opportunity for Michiganians to share in the blessings of prosperity and the dignity of professional achievement.
Policy reform in Michigan came with its share of controversy, but the truth is that economic freedom matters dearly to economic performance.


The resonant – reed frequency meter is one of the more simple and ragged frequency measuring instruments in use.
The indication of this instrument depends upon the mechanical resonance of thin flat steel reeds. When reeds are placed in the magnetic field, different reeds vibrate at different frequencies.
This type of meter consists of a series of thin metal reeds of equal length usually of 4 mm wide and 0.5 mm thick. But slightly different weights are attached to one end of the reeds. This added weights made each reed mechanically resonant at a particular frequency. This unweighted ends are attached to a common base plate. Now the reed and base plate assymbly is mounted in the field of an electromagnetic coil. The weighted ends of the reeds are visible through a narrow window in the face of the meter housing and are painted white.
The given alternating current to be measured, such as the 60Hz power line frequency, is passed through the coil. The base plate vibrate at the frequency of the applied current. The reed timed to resonant frequency will vibrate with large amplitude.
(i) If the driving frequency is midway between the frequency of two adjacent reeds, both reeds vibrate at an equal but reduced amplitude.
(ii) If the coil frequency is between two adjacent reeds but not midway, both reeds vibrate, but the reed closest to the driving frequency vibrates with the greater amplitude.
Range of the limits imposed by mechanical inertia, these meters are limited to power-line frequencies, usually either 50 or 60 Hz. As a result, the resonant-reed device normally has a range limited to a few cycles either side of a nominal centre frequency. It gives an accuracy of about + 0.3%. Vibrating-reed frequency meters are usually panel mounted. Their greatest use is with portable engine driven generators (alternators), enabling the operator to correctly set the speed.
(i) Its indicators are independent of the waveform of the applied voltage.
(ii) Its indicators are also independent of the magnitude of the applied voltage but voltage should be high enough to provide sufficient amplitude for reed vibration so as to make its reading reliable.
(i) It cannot read closer than half the frequency difference between adjacent reeds.
(ii) Its error is dependent upon the accuracy with which reeds can be tuned to a given frequency.


CONVENTIONAL MORTGAGE LENDING: WHO YOU GONNA BELIEVE, ME OR EVIDENCE?
Respected real estate and housing finance reporter Kenneth R. Harney asks: "But are lenders lately playing a numbers game with consumers -- claiming they're willing to accept lower [FICO credit] scores while actually approving applicants with higher scores on average than they did last year or even earlier this year?" Kenneth R. Harney, "Real Estate / Lenders Say They're Easing Mortgage Terms. But Statistics Suggest Otherwise." (Washington Post Online Wednesday, September 9, 2015).
Harney's answer in the end: "[T]he statistical evidence suggests that, on average, it is increasingly people with higher scores, not lower, who are making the final cut." Id.
The trend toward mortgage lenders putting their emphasis on high credit scores is perplexing in view of the business model of making conventional mortgage loans. Did you know that the conventional mortgage loans business model involves making loans to relatively low-creditworthy applicants, making your profit, and then making more profit by selling the loan to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or the FHA? Well, it is. See id. Which, to say again, makes the increasing emphasis on ever-higher credit scores a perplexing thing. There must be something behind the available evidence that we cannot see, yet.
Please Read The Disclaimer. ©2015 by Dennis J. Wall, author of "Lender Force-Placed Insurance Practices" (American Bar Association 2015). All Rights Reserved.
FINANCIAL PEOPLE, LEGAL FOLKS SEE GOOD FAITH DIFFERENTLY, THEY SAY.
"Investment professionals and lawyers see the world through different lenses." Mr. Kevin Donnellan, spokesperson for the Arizona State Treasurer, quoted by Gretchen Morgenson, "Fair Game / Dancing the Ratings Two-Step," p. 1, col. 1 (New York Times Nat'l ed., "SundayBusiness" Section, Sunday, June 15, 2014).
The above quote was in the context of wondering why investors still rely on ratings by various ratings agencies even though the investors are suing them for losses caused by the raters' alleged negligence. The State of Arizona is in that category, along with many others described in the article.
The above quote applies equally to the field of lender force-placed insurance. In that field, too, investors see the world differently from lawyers -- and from homeowners. See the "Publications" page at www.dennisjwall.com for a freely downloadable/printable article on lender force-placed insurance claims and defenses.
INSTITUTIONAL BAD FAITH WILL SHOW UP IF IT IS THERE.
Newspaper outlets report on the press releases issued by the Department of Justice's civil lawsuit against Standard & Poor's (S&P). There is speculation that this may only be the first lawsuit in a series of potential lawsuits arising out of the causes of the Great Recession insofar as they involved the conduct of the credit rating agencies. See Andrew Ross Sorkin and Mary Williams Walsh, "U.S. Accuses S&P of Fraud in Suit on Loan Bundles" (New York Times Online "Dealbook" Blog posted on Monday, February 4, 2013). It is interesting that part of the Department of Justice's Claim against S&P is that S&P used incorrect computer models to gauge risk. See Peter Eavis, "U.S. Contends S&P Purposely Used Faulty Models" (New York Times Online "Dealbook" Blog posted on Tuesday, February 5, 2013).
As securitizations and related deals became more and more complex, investors and dealmakers relied more and more on credit rating agencies to spend the time required to evaluate the credit-worthiness of these complex deals. Reliance on the credit ratings agencies became -- and still is -- so pervasive that Federal Statutes identified the agencies by name or by listing characteristics that only they could meet, whenever credit-worthiness was at issue.
The many demonstrated failures of the credit rating agencies include the AAA ratings they incorrectly gave to Residential Mortgage Backed Securities or RMBS. See Jessica Silver-Greenberg, "E-Mails Imply JPMorgan Knew Some Mortgage Deals Were Bad" (New York Times Online "Dealbook" post on February 6, 2013). Parenthetically, every time I read that headline, I want to say, "Do ya think?" It should be noted here that most newspapers, including the New York Times, do not allow reporters to write their own headlines; editors are employed to do that.
This has led to huge Claims on Mortgage Insurance Policies and on Title Insurance Policies. See "Mortgage Insurance" and "Title Insurance" Categories on this Blog, and also on Insurance Claims and Issues Blog.
There is a question whether the credit rating agencies were ever fully accepted as a part of the financial framework governing the United States at this time. If they are, then I predict that the lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice against S&P over S&P's alleged misconduct and mis-rating of the credit-worthiness of certain securities, will resemble the settlements reached by such other Federal agencies and commissions as the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency with investment banks over those banks' alleged misconduct which caused or contributed to the causes of the Great Recession. I predict that in that event, the reported Department of Justice civil lawsuit against S&P will be settled, and that the settlement will include a fine which will probably be less, perhaps much less, than 50% of the money S&P made from the alleged mis-rating, and that S&P will settle without admitting liability.
If on the other hand S&P and the other credit rating agencies are not accepted as a part of the governing financial framework at this time, then I predict that in that event the lawsuit will still be settled but S&P will only be able to reach a settlement by admitting liability, to something.
Finally, in any case I predict that based on past experience of lawsuits filed by Federal agencies, commissions, and departments, that the reported civil lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice against S&P will never go to Trial. There are many reasons that all of the past-filed lawsuits all apparently have been settled, not the least of which are definitely fear of losing and perhaps a lack of capacity to try cases.
In any case, Mortgage Insurance Carriers and Title Insurance Companies can expect more of the same old, same old, unfortunately for them -- and for us.
Nevada Sues to Set Aside Settlement Bank of America Allegedly Dishonored.
In a Complaint reportedly filed by the Attorney General of Nevada on August 30, 2011, Nevada has filed suit to set aside a Mortgage Foreclosure Fraud Settlement allegedly dishonored by Bank of America. I have searched PACER. Nevada's Complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, is not available Online as yet. I will keep searching every so often. When I find the Complaint, I intend to post it here. In the meantime, Ms. Gretchen Morgenson has reported on it and her reporting is reliable. See Gretchen Morgenson, "Nevada Sees Violations of Mortgage Agreement" p. B1, col. 6 (New York Times Nat'l ed., "Business Day" Section, Wed., August 31, 2011).
"These paperwork failures should have barred the bank from foreclosing on borrowers, the Nevada complaint says, but it went ahead nonetheless."
Whew. So do you think, based on these allegations, that this Bank can be trusted in future Settlement Agreements it makes concerning the Mortgage Foreclosure Fraud debacle? Many of these allegations concern conduct allegedly indulged in by Bank of America after it entered into the Court-approved Settlement Agreement with the State of Nevada, among other parties.
Apparently the remaining Attorneys General of the 50 States, all of whom are currently negotiating yet another "Settlement Agreement" with Banks and other participants in the Mortgage Foreclosure Fraud model, are paying attention to this development. See id. Watch for the Administration and several of the State Attorneys General to try to put pressure on the Nevada Attorney General to dismiss the lawsuit and accept yet another "Settlement Agreement".
Asking the Federal Court to set aside the previous so-called "Settlement Agreement" is not the only relief requested in Nevada's Complaint this week. "Ms. Masto's [the Nevada Attorney General's] complaint asks that the court impose civil penalties on Bank of America and order it to cover the costs of caring for foreclosed properties borne by municipalities." Id.
Standard Poor Credit Rater: It "Might" Make U.S. Rating, "Possible".
Standard & Poor's Credit Rating Corporation never predicted the default of Orange County, California.
Standard & Poor's Credit Rating Corporation did not foresee the collapse of Enron.
Standard & Poor's Credit Rating Corporation failed to predict the Great Collapse of our national economy.
With this rich record, before 2011 Standard & Poor's could have been expected, no, would have been expected, to go and hide its face. Instead, the Very Serious People are continuing to pay attention to Standard & Poor's for some reason. They are in a tizzy that Standard & Poor's has actually made a prediction, which is that there is a 1/3 chance or less that it, Standard & Poor's, will downgrade the Credit Rating of the United States. See generally John Waggoner, "S&P Lowers its Outlook: Could U.S. Default on its Debt?" (USA Today); Michael Hiltzik, "S&P Should Avoid Political Predictions / The Credit Ratings Firm, Which Warned That it Might Downgrade its Assessment of U.S. Government Debt Because Politics Could Hinder Efforts to Control the Deficit, Lacks Credibility in its Forecasts" (Los Angeles Times Online, Saturday, April 23, 2011).
Is this not the same Standard & Poors that is a named Defendant in quite a few lawsuits filed by people and companies that lost lots of money in the Great Collapse?
And, for that matter, is this not the same S&P which is the target of a great deal of focus by the United States Government of S&P's actions and omissions before and during the Great Collapse?
Giving Them "Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations" Preferences is Socialism!
A post on the Credit Ratings Corporations on Insurance Claims and Issues Web Log on Friday, June 4, 2010 examined the testimony of Mr. Warren Buffett about their cluelessness and blamelessness for the Great Collapse, in his judgment.
The "big 3" of Credit Ratings Corporations are each designated by the Federal Government as "Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations". Federal Law requires that investors such as mutual funds hold only "AAA" rated investments, rated "AAA" by Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations". There are and have been only 3 of them: Fitch, Moody's, and Standard & Poor's. Other raters need not apply for this Federally conferred monopoly.
Pending legislation soon to be reconciled between the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives may or may not preserve this anti-competitive status for the "big 3". See Joe Nocera, "Dubious Way To Prevent Fiscal Crisis" p. B1, col. 1 (New York Times Nat'l ed., "Talking Business/Business Day" Section, Saturday, June 5, 2010). There may be a new provision which would remove the headlock enjoyed by the 3 NRSRO's, to a situation where high-grade investments can be rated by other raters and not simply by the big 3. Or possibly not rated at all, but proven in some other way to be worthwhile opportunities for investing other people's money.
There is no provision under consideration to totally dismantle Credit Ratings Corporations, or even to limit their free-market potential. Using raters would still be an option if the pending legislation is enacted. S.E.C. Commissioner Kathleen Casey and Prof. Frank Partnoy, "Downgrade the Ratings Agencies" p. 11, col. 1, New York Times Nat'l ed., "Week in Review" Section, Sunday, June 6, 2010). It's just that the stranglehold favoring the Federally enhanced NRSRO's would be broken in favor of competition. As things stand, the big 3 have been given a Federally legislated monopoly position in the many provisions of Federal Law which require their ratings to be used if investments are to be made.
Now that sounds like socialism. It would be useful if people who express concern about Federal government control would express understanding of what is at issue here, and so understanding, strongly oppose this very real example of unwanted mandates.
An Update as to King County, Washington's Federal Court lawsuit against many of the Financial dealers in the Western World, from the post here on May 3, 2010, "Fraud Claims Disguise Fiduciary Breach Claims Only Lawyers Can Describe?"
A similar Federal Class Action Complaint was filed in what became a companion case, by the Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation against the identical Defendants based upon what seem to be the same or similar allegations of Fraud, in Iowa Student Loan Equity Corporation v. IKB, Moody's, McGraw-Hill d/b/a Standard & Poor's, Fitch, et al. (S.D.N.Y. Case No. 09cv08822 Complaint Filed October 16, 2009) .
In an Opinion and Order filed on April 26, 2010, the United States District Judge denied Motions to Dismiss in both Cases, King County and Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation, which were based on arguments that the Complaints failed to state Claims upon which relief could be granted. Download King County, Washington v. IKB, Moody's, Standard & Poor's, Fitch, et al (S.D.N.Y. Case No. 09cv8387, Order Filed April 26, 2010), also published as King County v. IKB Deutsche Industriebank, 2010 WL 1702196 (S.D.N.Y. April 26, 2010) (Westlaw subscription required to access Westlaw). Certain Defendants also made arguments that Dismissal was warranted based on various jurisdictional concerns, which the Federal Court addressed and rejected in a separate Opinion and Order filed on the day before this post, which was May 4, 2010: Download King County, Washington v. IKB, Moody's, Standard & Poor's, Fitch, et al (S.D.N.Y. Case No. 09cv8387, Order Filed May 4, 2010) (not yet reported in Westlaw).
It remains to be seen whether the amendments to the Complaints in these cases will go beyond "negligence" and "negligent misrepresentation" to include alleged Claims for Breach of Fiduciary Duties at Common Law or by Statute.
As we know from today's post, New York Law recognizes a Cause of Action for alleged breach of the implied covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing.
Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund, et al. v. Standard & Poor's, etc., et al.
Following up on my post here on Monday, November 23, 2009, I have located the Complaint in the captioned lawsuit that was filed on Friday, November 20, 2009. It is 77 pages. Here is a pdf copy of the Download Complaint Filed November 20, 2009 . Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund, et al v. Standard & Poor's, etc., et al (S.D. Ohio Case No. 2.09cv1054).
Ohio Attorney General Complaint: 'Credit Rating Companies' Conflict of Interest'.
The Ohio Attorney General has reportedly filed a 73-page Complaint against several major Credit Rating Companies alleging a conflict of interest. The lawsuit was reportedly filed on behalf of the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund, and the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, and others who allegedly lost money on securities evaluated by the Credit Rating Companies. David Segal, "Ohio Sues Rating Firms for Losses in Funds" p. B1, col. 6 (New York Times Nat'l ed., "Business Day" Section, Saturday, November 21, 2009).
Although the report does not mention the claims or causes of action alleged, it seems likely that at least one rests on an alleged Breach of Fiduciary obligations.
Author's Note: I have an EMail in to the reporter of the linked newspaper article, requesting the name of the Court in which the Complaint was filed in order that I can obtain a copy and post it here, if possible. Alternatively, I have asked the reporter to send me a pdf copy of the Complaint if he already has one. Once I obtain a copy of the Complaint in question, when I do I will post it here.
National Association of Insurance Commissioners Nukes Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities Downgrades.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners ("NAIC") has adopted a resolution proposed by MetLife to reject ratings of certain securities held by Insurance Companies. Recent downgrades by Credit Rating Companies of residential mortgage-backed securities' ("RMBS") credit ratings have resulted in higher Capital or Reserves requirements for the Life and other Insurance Companies which hold these securities. The proposal adopted by the NAIC will cut the Credit Rating Companies loose from further rating of RMBS, and substitute a "third party" potentially more open, you might say, to rating RMBS higher than the Credit Ratings Companies have recently rated them. See Andrew Frye, "Insurers Win Regulator Relief on Home-Loan Securities (Update 3)" (Bloomberg.com, Friday, November 6, 2009).
After inducing a crisis of confidence in the accuracy of their credit ratings, and perhaps even in their competence in the field, Credit Rating Companies are finding it hard to stand up to proposals which have the effect of reducing large amounts of their existing business. If downgrades of RMBS credit ratings have this effect, and clearly they have had this effect, then the Credit Rating Companies face a problem which in many ways, they have made themselves: Either downgrade hopelessly inflated credit ratings on securitized garbage, and lose business, or leave the credit ratings inflated, and lose what little credibility the Credit Ratings Companies still enjoy.
There is a lot to be said in favor of honoring Fiduciary Duties, and not looking away from them. Even for just a little while. Let alone for a very long time.
The proposal is supported by the American Council of Life Insurers.
It is opposed by the Center for Economic Justice.
Perform Fiduciary Duties, Not Just Regulate the Financial System.
Fixing the Financial System is not what the current Administration is about. Making new Regulations of the same people doing the same thing they did before is the President's own definition of insanity: Trying the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result.
Credit Rating Companies for example failed miserably to evaluate the credit of Munis (Municipal Bonds), of Bond Insurance Companies, and other things. Yet, the right fix is not on, yet: The House Financial Services Committee and the Obama Administration are pushing legislation that would have the purpose of better regulating the Credit Raters. However, the legislation would avoid addressing the central Fiduciary conflict that Credit Rating Companies had and still have: They are paid by the people whose credit they rate. Until that is changed, everything may be changing, but nothing is new, to quote an old saying. On the pending legislation, its avowed purposes, and its drawbacks, see Joe Nocera, "Talking Business/CliffsNotes of Columns to Come" p. B1, col. 1 (New York Times Nat'l ed., "Business Day" Section, Saturday, October 31, 2009).
Similarly, the Obama Administration and particularly Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner are pushing other legislation also designed to keep the old financial system intact. They want to have the same people who failed to stop the Great Meltdown hold down new regulating jobs in a new government agency, to regulate the same people who ran amok with the financial system in the first place. See Stephen Labaton, "A Clash Over Regulation of Big Firms" p.B1, col. 5 (New York Times Nat'l ed., "Business Day" Section, Friday, October 30, 2009), published online under this different headline: "F.D.I.C. Chief Criticizes Reform Plan".
Fiduciary Duties require more than just tinkering at the edges, as they say. The American people are the ones owed those Fiduciary Duties, not the temporary occupants of the Federal Government and certainly not the wealthy people who already failed. It is a good time to fix the problem, not just invent new regulations and expect them to be enforced by the same people who failed at enforcing the old ones.
Credit Rating Companies and Fiduciary Duties.
[A] better approach would be new legislation that makes clear that the ratings agencies owe the fiduciary duty of care and loyalty to their investor clients. That doesn't mean they can be sued any time an investment goes sour. What it does mean is that they would be liable if they put out a rating that they knew, or should have known, was misleading after taking reasonable steps to ascertain that the information provided to them was accurate.
Steven Pearlstein, "Missing the Mark on Ratings-Agency Reform" (Washington Post Online, Friday, September 18, 2009). This is well said. The Courts have also spoken well. They have imposed Fiduciary Duties recognized at Common Law in many respects on persons and entities in the position of Credit Rating Companies. These persons and entities have, however, often defended on the ground of immunity conferred by Congress and with a defense that their paid pronouncements are 'protected' by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Perhaps against this background, new Federal legislation also imposing Fiduciary Duties may well be welcome in this area.


Oh, that cornflower blue, clean and intense, and oh, that cornflower blue with a very understated hint of violet is the best and most valuable of the blues.
Take an ordinary Tuesday, place it in September, make it follow the Labour Day Monday and suddenly the ordinary becomes extraordinary!
Today, the Four Butterflies: Eagerness, Anxiety, Novelty and Excitement, debut in both seasoned and novice Scholars.
They, the Four Butterflies, flutter in hearts of Instructors and Master Teachers.
It is They, the Four Butterflies, that make this Tuesday extraordinary.
Remember Scholars, One and All, to embrace the Four Butterflies, engage in the dance: spiral, soar, dip, twirl, spread wide your own wings ... be ... extraordinary!
Your name, Peridot, is derived from the ancient Greek Peridona, "to give richness", and oh, how rich your attraction, Peridot!
The Greeks of Old know you by your other title, chrysolite and name you "Goldstone"
Peridot gem, you are a testament to Durability, set it en cabochon you withstand the test of time.
Peridot gem, your Rarity of colour is the strongest indicator of value.


The Advantages of Hiring the Experts in Home Improvements | Sali Blog - What's your story?The Advantages of Hiring the Experts in Home Improvements – Sali Blog – What's your story?
There are times when you think about redesigning your home for best functionality. These times can be one of the most significant decisions you need to make. This thing will cost you money, time and effort thus, you need to be certain on it. It is important that you are redesigning your home that reflects the lifestyle you have in mind. This can be sometimes a daunting job to do where hiring an architect helps. Home Building is a big step to do. The process can be overwhelming and filled with unknowns thus, you need the expertise of others to do it.
The Hallbury Homes is well-known for home improvement and remodeling services for years. They have the team of architect and designers to improve your home. You can rely on them if you are in need of repair or to change the look of your home. They can also handle some renovation services for home improvement. They have the licensed professionals to work on the planning and design you want. They can lead the process of creating functional spaces. They can help you create the best concept and realization of those design. They can enhance and remodel your home to meet your ideal home space. You need to tell them your lifestyle insight so that the architects can come up with your ideal design spaces. This is important for them to be able to reflect on how you want to live. You need to be certain and tie all the details so that they can give you a cohesive package. Visit the site http://hallburyhomes.com.au/ to know more.
Redesigning your home is a very big undertaking for there are a lot of decisions to make. You need to have the expert guidance to do the right job and achieve the design you opt. The home improvement service has extensive knowledge of the process. The architects have the essential knowledge about the building designs for home improvements. You can assure to meet your ideal design without any safety risk. Hiring the experts in remodeling can help you reduce construction delays. They likely have the time frame based on the changes you want to have. This way, you will know from the start how much the redesigning will cost you. You can also have some experts advice for better spaces. Thus, if you want to achieve your ideal home space, never take any chances and hire the experts.
Redesigning your home needs the level of quality and finish of materials for the best result. If you don't have the knowledge about these things, you need to hire an expert to guide you. They can help you and even estimate the budget for the materials needed. You can then choose which one you think will suit your needs with their expertise. The material selection can affect the final cost of the construction. The experienced architect can help guide your selections to maximize your budget. They have some knowledge of the benefits and drawbacks of the materials that you might need. Having them in your home improvements is important to get your ideal space in the most efficient way.


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Adoptions in Rhode Island are of two broad types: they are either consented to, or they are contested adoptions. Consented to adoptions are just that: all parties (biological parents and adoptive parents) are in agreement. Those adoptions are the least complex. If you have an interest in filing for adoption, give Attorney Don Moyer a call at (401) 305-2934.
If the petitioners can prove one of these grounds exists, then they may succeed in the contested adoption. Contested adoptions will include a trial to resolve factual and legal issues. Issues at trial include whether the parent fighting the adoption truly abandoned the child or if the failed to provide support for the child.
If you are seeking to adopt in Rhode Island, or are defending against an adoption attempt, we can help. Call us at (401) 305-2934 to set up your initial consultation today.


text:
MARVEL TALES X-MEN #1
The X-Men join the celebration of the House of Ideas' 80th anniversary with the latest issue of the era-spanning MARVEL TALES! This anthology shines a spotlight on fan-favorite characters, features timeless stories and highlights some of Marvel's most impressive talent from the past eight decades. First, Alex Summers suits up as the man called Havok in X-MEN (1963) #58 - a classic tale of the original X-Men by the legendary team of Roy Thomas and Neal Adams! Then, New Mutants' Sunspot and Warlock join a ragtag group of teen heroes - plus the mutant lobsters known as Bill and Don - in FALLEN ANGELS #2 by classic creators Jo Duffy and Kerry Gammill! And finally, Storm powerfully reasserts herself as the captured X-Men face execution in Genosha in UNCANNY X-MEN (1981) #272 by the superstar team of Chris Claremont and Jim Lee!


American Retrofitters is a full service structural engineering and construction company located in Los Angeles, California that truly specializes in seismic retrofitting. We're a division of BASEC Structures (CSLB 684673), and we were created for the sole purpose of servicing soft‑story retrofit projects under the ordinances recently passed in and around the Greater Los Angeles area.
Mr. Hamid Esmaili is the founder and Chief Engineer of both BASEC Structures and American Retrofitters. He has more than 36 years of experience in the field of engineering and construction, and more than 25 years of experience specifically in seismic retrofitting. He has been responsible for the construction and seismic retrofit of major and complex projects throughout Northern and Southern California, and he has received several prestigious awards for his skill and outstanding performance, particularly for his notable work on Historic Landmarks.
We're your best choice because we're more qualified, more knowledgeable, and more competent than anyone else. We're an integrity driven client-focus firm that puts your interest first.
Our principals are intimately involved in the day-to-day operations and they are always available to our clients.
Mr. Hamid Esmaili oversees all aspects of engineering and construction, ensuring that each and every project gets the expert care and attention to detail it deserves.
Mr. David Jacobson oversees all aspects of business operations, ensuring that all of our clients' needs are met and that all projects progress toward completion quickly and efficiently.
The former District Chief, Plan Check Division of the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS), supervising 30 engineers and responsible for residential and commercial plan checks, field investigations, and review of building and zoning code variances.
The former Supervisor, Earthquake Safety Division of the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS), responsible for the development and implementation of the necessary specifications, guidelines, and design procedures for upgrading hazardous buildings to bring them into compliance with the seismic provisions of Divisions 88, 92 and 95 of the Los Angeles Building Code and the Uniform Code of Building Conservation (UCBC).
The Principal Investigator for the California Seismic Safety Commission (CSSC), investigating the 1994 magnitude 6.7 Northridge Earthquake.
The Lead Engineer surveying the damage caused by the magnitude 5.9 Whittier Narrow Earthquake, responsible for improving requirements of the seismic upgrade of commercial and residential structures.
The Lead Structural Engineer and Assistant Project Manager for the $400 million expansion of the Los Angeles Convection Center, responsible for field investigations, budget and schedule monitoring, and preparation of necessary reports and public relations materials.
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The Cinque Terre can be described as a great place for a vacation because the warm summers last a long time and there is very little rain even during fall-winter. The temperature never falls below zero and the hot summer days are quite bearable thanks to the southerly and south-westerly breezes from the sea. So tourists are happy all year round.
You can embark on pedestrian excursions in the Cinque Terre at any time of the year. The main thing is to make sure that weather conditions are suitable for trekking. Rainy weather in particular, but torrid sunny days as well, is not ideal: walking on wet paths is difficult and dangerous, and with extreme heat in the middle of the day (July-August) there is a risk of sun stroke.
But you find tourists keen on discovering the Cinque Terre on foot all year round, even in winter if the weather is dry in this part of Liguria, and in the warmer months.
From the end of May to the end of September the sea in Liguria is lukewarm. July and August are obviously best for swimming and sunbathing, but keep in mind that it is peak season and hotel accommodation must be booked early! Read more about beaches here.
You really can't say that one month is more suitable than others to visit the Cinque Terre. Everything depends on the purpose of the trip to this part of Liguria. You will always find something to do here!
In winter, from December to January, the Christmas Nativity scene (il Presepe) takes place in the village of Manarola. This is the representation of the birth of Christ with the use of numerous figurines. During the festive season all the Cinque Terre villages and the nearby towns (La Spezia and Portovenere) are decorated with colored garlands. It all looks very beautiful. Bear in mind that ferries do not operate in the winter period.
Spring: from mid-March communications by sea between the villages commence and the number of boats increases each month. The weather is not very hot yet, so March to May is considered the best period for walking the trails. It is still too early to swim, even though you can see some brave people on the beaches from mid-May, already taking a dip in the cool Ligurian waters.
The summer season in the Cinque Terre means a large number of tourists, since that is the ideal time to go to the beach and swim. The highest temperatures occur during August, considered the hottest month, especially from Ferragosto (on 15 August, when holiday time begins for Italians).
Fall (autumn) has its advantages too. For example, September is still quite hot; you can swim, walk the trails and use the ferries (which usually run until the end of October). In November the rains intensify, and it is perhaps the most adverse month for a vacation in the Cinque Terre.
Bear in mind that temperatures can exceed 35°C in the summer. In winter, depending on the weather, temperatures vary from 5°C to 20°C from one week to another.
The average temperatures and the number of days without precipitation in the last ten years: see the table.


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Home Community From Arts to Health to Wellness, "Every Breath Counts"
From Arts to Health to Wellness, "Every Breath Counts"
Oakland's Prescott-Joseph Center for Community Enhancement (PJC) recently hosted its third annual awards reception and symposium benefit for the Northern California Breath-mobile program.
The gala event, held at the Waterfront Hotel in Jack London Square, included a silent auction followed by an awards presentation and panel discussion focused on seeking solutions to the asthma epidemic in the greater Bay Area.
Honorees were Assembly member Rob Bonta; Andrea Bailey, community engagement manager, Chevron Richmond; Leroy Smith, Chairman of San Leandro's Lions Club; and special recognition of the Volunteer of the Year Mary Frazier, a retired RN.
Asthma is a chronic disease affecting the air passages in the lungs and affects an estimated 7.1 million children under 18 in the U.S. An asthma episode results in narrowed airways and causes violent attacks of coughing, wheezing, frequent hospitalization, and missed school days.
Dr. Washington Burns, executive director of the Prescott-Joseph Center and medical director of the Northern California Breath-mobile stated, "While genetics may be a contributing factor to asthma, there are environmental factors (including poor air quality and mold in homes) and social factors (poverty, lack of education) that are all significant in the increased prevalence of asthma we see today."
TheNorthern California Breath-mobile was launched in 2011 by PJC providing services to children in 23 schools and head-start programs in the Bay Area. It is one of nine in the country, the first founded in Southern California in 1995.
The Breath-mobile is an asthma clinic on wheels, providing diagnosis, education, treatment and research for children with asthma. It is specially equipped with a crew including an MD and trained asthma personnel. Also, respiratory therapists conduct the necessary evaluation and treatment as well as provide free medicine, limited skin testing and spirometry testing, for lung capacity.
"Two years ago I stayed fearful as I helplessly watched many times my child struggle with his breath," said Carmen Elyse, a parent whose child has asthma. "We were always ending up in emergency rooms."
Elyse and her child enrolled into the Breath-mobile program at his school. "Today he lives with little to no complications. It was the education that was important for me. I have a plan on my refrigerator that spells out what to do. When an episode occurs, I now know what to do," Elyse said.
Keynote speaker Dr. Eric Zee, Pediatric Pulmonologist for UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland, was joined by a panel that represented the national and Northern California Breath-mobile.
"It's the elderly and children that suffer the most," Zee told the audience. He spoke of the worst pollution disaster in 1952 in London that contributed to over 1,000 deaths and led to the Clean Air Act in 1956.
"Because of that incident, today pollution, especially in California, is highly regulated and highly measured" he says.
"We do it because asthma is a chronic disease that can be managed and people can live healthy lives," Burns said. "We need a second mobile unit so we can do more."
To learn about PJC, call (510) 835-8683 or visit www.prescottjoseph.org
Breathmobile
PJC
Prescott-Joseph Center for Community Enhancement
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital
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Actress Leah Minto has revealed TV3 has told the cast and crew of Red Rock that it wants the show to continue, with its future still firmly up in the air.
The gritty crime drama lost its filming location, at the John Player film factory, in recent months and filming has since stopped.
However, Dubliner Leah (24), who plays Garda Ash Cahill on the series, is keeping her fingers crossed the crew will be back together soon.
"Losing our set on the John Player factory and having to put it on hiatus, it's like we've lost our station," she said.
"But we are excited to see what's the next shape Red Rock will take.
"TV3 have been supportive and let us know that they want to keep it going. We have to find a way of rebooting it I suppose and figuring out where it's going to take place.
"They are looking at the different shape it will take. From when it started back in 2015, it's already grown from there. It's going to be exciting."
The season finale of Red Rock will air on April 23, while there are still more episodes that were filmed last year that are due to air at an undecided date.
However, a TV3 source said the future of the show beyond that is still unknown.
Leah joined the series in the summer of 2016 and has loved every minute of it.
"It's been amazing. The time has flown in. It's a cliche to say it's like a family, but you're working with these guys Monday to Friday, seven to seven. It's your second home," she told the Herald.
"It's quite a fast-paced show but you have people there who take the time to teach you how this bit of equipment works or how you can get the best angle."
In tonight's episode, Ash notices a ring is missing from the evidence collected in the Donna Burke case. She voices the issue to Sergeant Dunne.
Dunne is terrified Ash's poking around could lead the investigation to consider his friend Callaghan as being involved in Donna's murder and will expose Dunne's cover-up.
He tries to convince Ash not to kick up a fuss but she struggles to brush it aside.
"Ash gets pulled into the whirlwind that Dunne and Callaghan have been a part of. She kept it a secret for a while that Dunne was her godfather because she wanted to make a name for herself. She has been acting under Dunne's behalf without realising," said Leah.
"She's acting as a tough cop and doing her best but he is manipulating the situation and taking advantage of her willingness to do a good job."


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This website is for parents, kids, and teachers. It has many online resources for learning more about nutrition. You can also submit questions to be answered by dietitians.
This website from the USDA has fun online games to teach kids about nutrition.
Eat Right is a website from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. It has great information and recipes for kids, parents, seniors, men and women.


MUNICH. Telefónica Germany continues its story of growth in the third quarter. Thus confirming its positive development in previous quarters, despite a difficult and aggressively priced market. The number of total accesses rose to 24.3 million. Both revenue and profit (OIBDA) increased sharply, in particular through the high speed of growth in the new customer and data business. Non-P2P SMS revenue leapt by 53 per cent year-on-year.
The number of total accesses (mobile, fixed network, pay-tv, wholesale) rose by 8.4 per cent to 24.3 million year-on-year, of which 20.7 million are mobile and DSL customers. Over the same period of time the number of new mobile customers shot up by 12 per cent. Contract net additions reached to an impressive 252,000, which corresponds to an increase of 182 per cent year-on-year in the third quarter. The customer and revenue growth was mainly driven by the successful 'O2 Blue' product portfolio.
Alongside Tchibo, FONIC is making a very large contribution to the successful growth of the partner business. The subsidiary, one of the most prosperous mobile discounters on the market, was able to increase its customer base by 33 per cent over the same period of 2010. The partnership with Türk Telekom and the launch of 'Türk Telekom Mobile' tariff has proved effective.
"Our success shows that we are right on track with our strategy. The mobile data business already contributes to our consistent monetisation," says René Schuster, CEO of Telefónica Germany. "The entry into the smartpone business of our subsidiary FONIC brings additional momentum to the market." The number of mobile Internet users grew by 47 per cent over previous year. Overall the mobile data business was a significant driver of our growth with Non-P2P SMS revenue increasing by 53 per cent year-on-year.
"Despite a toughly contested market environment we have managed to raise mobile revenue by 8 per cent year-on-year," says Rachel Empey, CFO of Telefónica Germany. Without the lowering of the mobile termination charge, growth would have actually been 14.5 per cent. "We aim to continue our success story and focus on building on profitable growth," adds Empey.
Since the first quarter 2011 the company was also able to make consistent gains in monthly ARPU which increased by 7 per cent to 14 euros compared to the first quarter. That was especially related to the increasing data usage per customer. Telefónica Germany is speeding up with the development of the consolidated operating result (OIBDA). Excluding restructuring charges in the third quarter of 2010, OIBDA grew by 3.3 per cent to 314 million euros year-on-year. OIBDA margin rose to 24.8 per cent and is thus 0.3 percentage points higher than in the same quarter of previous year.
In order to run a successful business one of the key elements for Telefónica Germany is having a high customer satisfaction level. 'Kundenmonitor Deutschland 2011' again singled out Telefónica Germany for praise, confirming for the fifth time in a row Telefónica as the network operator with the most satisfied mobile customers in the German market.


Please excuse a second post today, but I think you will agree that it is a timely message worth re-sharing as Christmas draws near this can be such a difficult time of year for so many people. I hope you will find comfort and encouragement in this post.
Christmas is a time when memories are made. Christmas is also a season of grace.
Two years ago, I wrote about a special Christmastime memory that occurred during the most painful season of my life journey. I think the story is worth repeating, and hope in some small way, it may speak to your heart.
Each December, I'm reminded of THAT Christmas. I felt certain it was destined to be unhappy. Instead, it has become one of my most cherished memories.
A month before Christmas, my unwanted divorce was finalized. All during December, a cloud of doom and gloom hovered over my heart.
Realizing it was going to be a difficult time for their daughter, my mom and dad arrived to spend Christmas Eve with my two-and-a-half-year-old daughter and me in our tiny little rental house, located across the road from railroad tracks. At that time, it was all I could afford on my secretary salary and child support income.
Angie had no inkling all was not well in her little world. She adored her grandparents, and they adored her. She was delighted by the little Christmas tree, festooned with bright bulbs and lights. She was ecstatic about all the "pwesents" under the tree. Her bubbly, bouncy personality brought so much joy and laughter. But, Angie went to bed before 8:00 p.m., which left several hours for me to deal with heartbreaking memories and the foreboding of a fearful future.
Christmas Eve didn't keep Mom from going to bed at her usual early hour. Afterward, Dad and I settled down to watch TV. As nighttime deepened, we could see through the window snow beginning to fall.
Midnight was nearing when Dad asked if I'd like to go for a walk. Donning coats, hats, gloves, boots and scarves, we left the house, prepared to walk into Christmas morn.
The night was perfect—much like a scene concluding one of those Hallmark Christmas movies. Not even a slight breeze disturbed the silent night. Huge wet snowflakes fell softly from an inky sky. Beams of light from the moon and streetlamps sparkled on the snowy white blanket.
There was something so special about that brand-new blanket of snow. For several minutes, it insulated me from the interior noise that had been clanging in my soul for many months. The snow's unmarred freshness spoke to my spirit about a clean slate, bringing the promise of new beginning.
Dad and I didn't speak during the walk. Our only communication was the unspoken camaraderie between a father and his child. Looking back on that event, I think I sensed I could trust my dad would be there for me. I believe on some spiritual level, I knew my earthly father's trustworthiness reflected the faithfulness of my Heavenly Father.
Today, I honor my earthly father who has gone before me. The grace I received during the walk Dad and I took that long-past Christmas Eve when my emotions were bruised badly, and my spirit nearly broken, gave me courage to walk into a season of healing.
People often tell me they appreciate the grace I extend. Those compliments are humbling but also a reminder when grace has been given to me, it enables me to bless those living and who will come after me.
Tears blur the computer screen this morning as I type today's blog post. I'm watching for the second time a youtube video of Casting Crowns singing the Christmas Carol, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.
The words of this poignant song were written as a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on Christmas Day, 1863. Civil war raged in a divided nation. The cruel war pitted friend against friend, brother against brother. Before it ended in 1865, more than 600,000 soldiers had lost their lives.
Every number has a name; every name has a story; every story matters to God.
I cannot help but think about the 600,000 plus stories of those Civil War soldiers. The stories of many more than 600,00 loved ones were impacted by the devastating losses. I wonder how many questioned: God, do you even care about my loved-one's story?
Two years prior to writing this poem, Longfellow's beloved wife lost her life in a fire. Only a month before writing these words, his eldest son was critically wounded in the Battle of New Hope Church in Virginia.
Peace wasn't part of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's reality on that Christmas Day in 1863.
This morning I watched the news.
Fires rage in Southern California. Hundreds of families are losing their homes less than a month before Christmas.
On the news this morning, I heard Republicans castigating Democrats, Liberals berating Conservatives. Across the U.S.—the nation I love and have always called home—friends avoid friends and families are fractured because of deep political divides.
As I sit in my warm, comfortable home, all decorated for my favorite season of the year, I'm feeling sad.
I'm tempted to bow my head in despair because of the state of our nation. Part of me wants to weep for the condition of the world.
Hate seems so strong! Songs of the season, echoing the message of the angels that long-ago Christmas morn, seem mocked by so many.


The Pyronix Enforcer Wireless Two-Way Keyfob not only allows you to set and unset your alarm but can also be used as a panic button, controls wired automation, and gives a visual representation of the security system status.
The Pyronix Enforcer Wireless Two-Way Keyfob not only allows you to set and unset your alarm but can also be used as a panic button, controls wired automation, and gives a visual representation of the security system status. The Pyronix Enforcer Wireless Two-Way Keyfob has an emergency signal or panic button can be programed to sounds the alarm if help is needed, and if you have a monitoring contract with your security system, it will notify them that you are in need of help.
There is also the option to have different functions per Pyronix Enforcer Wireless Two-Way Keyfob so you don't have to give access to the whole property making they ideal if you want to give someone access to certain areas areas of the property whilst restricting others. for example if you would like your gardener to have access to the garage but not the rest of the house you can set it so he can only unset the alarm from that area.


For anyone wondering about power requirements for a vga update I've added the updated power requirements list for modern cards starting from Radeon HD 7xxx and GeForce GTX 6xx. Note listed are power requirements for an entire system with the listed videocard. For older legacy cards check Stu's power requirements list.